A Bump on the Road to Spring

March 24, 2010 by 1 Comment

Who would have guessed that we’d have to drive through a snow storm on our way home from our spring break trip to Kristin and Shawn’s? Or find upon our return that our town had received six inches of winter’s handiwork? Talk about a bump on the road to spring!

The poor little purple flowers lining our front sidewalk certainly took a beating. That spring spoiler of a storm pummeled their young stems and laid them low. Even though the melt had already begun by the time we arrived home Sunday evening, the blooms still hugged the concrete when I snapped the photo above on Monday morning. I didn’t know if they’d pull out of this last (hopefully!) winter assault or not.

I’m happy to report today that spring has successfully sprung back and conquered that mean ole icy bump in the road. By yesterday afternoon, the temp climbed to nearly 70 degrees, and winter’s white calling card disappeared. Our little purple flowers stood erect and healthy once again, as if nothing had even happened to them. Spring prevailed.

I wonder if any of us have encountered a bump on the road lately. You know what I mean. Just when we think we are making improvements or have turned a corner with a situation, challenge, or trial, we get pummeled with a fresh assault of some sort. Something that tries to lay us low.

How will we respond? Will we spend as little time as possible “hugging the concrete”, or will we let the bump on the road to our spring get the best of us? Let’s be encouraged by my little purple flowers. We, too, can stand tall again as we allow the very Author of spring itself to strengthen us. Remember — He prevailed!

“The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said…” Matthew 28:5-6a

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Filed Under: snow, spring, victory, winter

Clearing the Way

February 3, 2010 by 6 Comments

A blast of winter white hit the Heartland once again this past weekend, and once again the ole snow shovel got a work-out as Don cleared our drive and walk-ways. He’d probably split hairs and say that he was the one who got the work-out, though. At least that’s what his back told him the next day :)

I tried to help, honestly I did. Since Don’s putting in another very demanding semester, I let him sleep in on Saturday while I got out and started the process, using my trusty broom to clear off the front and back steps as well as a path next to our cars.

Since I was still recovering from a bad flare-up of inflammatory arthritis in my shoulder, I knew I had no business sweeping snow, let alone shoveling it. I couldn’t resist the urge, however, to get out in it, even if it was just for a little while. And I did want to ease Don’s load if I could.

But I couldn’t. The sweeping motion proved to be too painful. I had to wake Don and put him to work, preparing the way for our cars — and our feet — to travel unhindered by January’s last gift to us. That extra effort, that preparation for our comings and goings, made all the difference over the next few days.

When I think back to the life of Jesus, there was one who prepared the way for Him, too. Before He began His public ministry, John the Baptist came preaching, telling the people that they needed to “‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.'” (Matthew 3:2)

Scripture tells us that people from the whole region came to listen to John – and it made a very big difference. Many confessed their sins and were baptized. Many were then ready to embrace Jesus when He began His ministry.

We may have a ministry or task awaiting us today, but some preparation may need to be done first if we hope to proceed unhindered. Someone may need to clear the way. Who’s that someone in your situation?

Me? I’m in the midst of preparations for our daughter’s wedding. I’m doing all I can to help clear the way for a wonderful wedding day celebration. And I have a feeling the extra effort will make all the difference…

“…be prepared in season and out of season…” 2 Timothy 4:2

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Filed Under: cleaning, preparation, snow, unplowed ground, winter

Wrong Season?

March 29, 2009 by 8 Comments

I think Mother Nature missed the memo. You know, the one about it being spring and all. Nothing like capping off spring break with a winter storm, huh? From what I could tell from the weather map on Friday night, our area would be flirting with blizzard conditions, and by 1 p.m. Saturday, I could see why. The shot above shows what it looked like from our yard a little over an hour after the first flakes started falling.

Just think of the poor little perennials and flowering pears and redbuds. Goodness, what a shock to their delicate systems. I can almost hear their objections. “What in the world is going on? This is the wrong season for snow! Sure, we’re used to running the risk of low overnight temps, but this is ridiculous!”

Nature does have a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? In fact, the surprise could sometimes more accurately be called a real shocker. I’d say yesterday’s little gift falls into that category. To prove it, thunder rumbled at times, capturing our attention even more. That’s right. Thunder during our snow storm. I guess that’s what happens when spring and winter collide.

Surprises and shocks many times arrive with incredibly bad timing — in weather and in life. The last thing any of us wanted on spring break was a major winter storm, but we didn’t get a vote. In the same way, sometimes life hands us situations at seemingly wrong times, wrong seasons. Just ask a young widower or a single mom trying to handle it all after her husband walked out on her. Or talk to a mom who’s seeing her youngest off to college while also wearing maternity clothes.

Maybe you’re faced with one of these wrong season situations or something similar like a scary diagnosis, the loss of a job, or a broken engagement. Or like us, as we’ve put some things on hold to help care for a parent in poor health, yours might be less drastic but still throw you for a loop.

So what do we do with these wrong season situations? We deal with them. We weather them. And if we’re wise, we run to God with them.

We don’t try to handle them on our own. We turn them over to the One who wasn’t surprised by them. The One who is fully able to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). The One who is able to “bestow on [us] a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.” (Isaiah 61:3)

Come to think of it, maybe wrong season situations don’t happen in the wrong seasons after all…

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

*My photo

**Update: Don’s mom has been doing better this past week! She, of course, is still in renal failure, but we never thought we’d see improvement at this stage of the game. We’re so thankful for more stable times. Thanks for all the prayers!

Filed Under: nature, snow, spring, time, winter

On The Job

February 3, 2008 by 2 Comments

Old man winter snuck into town during the wee hours of Thursday morning, and by the time he crawled on through, he left us with about a foot of snow. I shot this picture that day from an area just outside our front door that had been protected from the drifts.

Most things came to a standstill in our community on Thursday. School was canceled and appointments rescheduled. Many who made it to work got to leave early before things got worse. Our paper didn’t arrive until sometime the next day. The streets, covered in the white stuff, stayed almost deserted.

It wouldn’t have surprised me not to get mail that day either, but the mail truck pulled into our neighborhood late that afternoon. The good ole mail service — not much can stop them, can it? They may get there late, but they get there. (The flood here last summer did stop them for a day or two, but that was probably because the mail couldn’t make it into town.)

The next day I watched our letter carrier trudge through yards where sidewalks had not yet been shoveled. The snow slowed him down, but he didn’t let it stop him. All over town, I’m sure the same scene was taking place. The U.S. Postal Service — faithful to do the job, persevering in spite of obstacles.

They set quite an example, don’t they? I want to live in such a way that people will be able to say the same of me. How about you?

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2

*My photo

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, snow, winter

Life Stories

January 16, 2008 by 3 Comments

8228692320_a9c3f0204d_zSince we’re supposed to get some snow tonight, it’s the perfect time to share a snowy word picture.

Ole Hallesby said, “As white snowflakes fall quietly and thickly on a winter day, answers to prayer will settle down upon you at every step you take, even to your dying day. The story of your life will be the story of prayer and answers to prayer.”

What a beautiful picture and, more than that, what a glorious thought. Imagine it for a minute. You’re standing outside while snow is falling all around you. (Go ahead — make it the big snowflakes that look so picturesque.) As you delight in the wonder of it all, you begin to see it in an even more amazing way. The snowflakes aren’t snowflakes at all but answers to prayer. In that moment, you see the true beauty of your life, and you feel rich.

It makes you think about all the people who have prayed for you over the years, doesn’t it? Parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, husbands, wives, children, friends, pastors, teachers. Even strangers may have prayed for you when they saw you in a tough spot or heard about your desperate need. And let’s not forget Jesus. Scripture tells us that Christ Himself is at the right hand of God praying for us (Romans 8:34). How blessed we are, living lives filled with the fruit of their prayers.

And don’t forget, in the same way, you have blessed the lives of others by praying for them. Some of these blessings you get to witness while others you may never see. Think for a minute. How many people have you touched through prayer? How many life stories are your prayers a part of? How many people have shaped your life story? Mine has been shaped by many of you.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’ll ever look at snowflakes drifting down in the same way again. I’ll be seeing your prayers. And I’ll be thanking God for you.

*Flickr photo by martinak15, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: beauty, blessing, prayer, snow, winter
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